Idaho county clerks must begin mailing requested absentee ballots Friday, September 18, starting the state’s general-election voting process more than six weeks before Election Day.
The 2026 election calendar from Secretary of State Phil McGrane’s office sets September 18 as the date clerks begin mailing absentee ballots for the November 3 election. Counties may also start sending ballots to voters in precincts officially designated for voting by mail.
This is the beginning of ballot distribution, not the opening of every early-voting location. Idaho allows counties to choose whether to conduct early voting, and the state calendar says that option may begin October 13. The Ada County schedule, for example, begins weekday early voting October 19 and runs through October 30. Voters should therefore check their own county rather than assume every jurisdiction follows the same in-person schedule.
Who can request an absentee ballot
Any registered Idaho voter may request a mailed absentee ballot; no excuse is required. The Secretary of State’s ballot guide says online applicants must provide an Idaho-issued identification number and the last four digits of their Social Security number so officials can match the request to the signed voter record. A new absentee request is required each calendar year.
The application deadline is 5 p.m. October 23. Voters can use the state’s online request system or submit the official paper form to their county clerk. The state also provides a county-clerk directory for voters who need local mailing instructions, drop-box locations or confirmation that their request was received.
Receiving a ballot does not prevent a voter from correcting a problem through the clerk’s office. Anyone who changes address, sees an unexpected status online or does not receive a requested ballot should contact the county before the October 23 request deadline.
Once a ballot arrives, state guidance tells voters to use blue or black ink, follow the contest instructions and sign the outside of the return envelope. Election workers verify those signatures. A mailed return envelope requires postage, while voters may instead use an official drop box or deliver the ballot to the county elections office.
Idaho’s deadline is based on receipt, not postmark. Under state law, the completed ballot must reach the county clerk by 8 p.m. on November 3 to be counted. The Secretary of State encourages voters to send it early enough to account for postal transit and allows voters to check absentee-ballot status through their online voter record.
Regular polling places will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on November 3, and qualified Idahoans may register and vote at their assigned polling place that day. For voters choosing the mail route, however, September 18 is the operational start: requested ballots begin moving, the application window remains open for another five weeks, and the responsibility shifts to voters to complete and return them before the Election Day cutoff.
